Virgin Takes Prepaid Shopping

Virgin Mobile USA today announced a Virgin branded prepaid debit card. The Virgin Mobile Stash card can be tied to a Virgin Mobile calling account, so that subscribers can earn minutes for the money they spend using the card. Subscribers can also use their card for automatic pre-payment of Virgin Mobile subscription plans. The Stash card works similarly to Virgin's calling plans in that it does not require a credit check or any other hurdles, however like prepaid phone plans, using the card incurs a small fee. The exact fee is not listed, making it unclear whether the free minutes earned by using the card make up for the charges. The Stash card is issued by Inter National Bank, which is FDIC insured.